‘Fun Run’ to promote Asian Games
DOHA, February 8, 2018-Three hundred schoolchildren along with Team Qatar champions will take part in the ‘Fun Run’, an event to promote the upcoming 18th Asian Games Jakarta-Palembang 2018, at the Aspire Park today.
Addressing a press conference, Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) secretary-general Jassim al-Buenain yesterday said, “As directed by HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani, the QOC president, we are delighted to support the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) in its campaign for the Asian Games which will be held this year in Indonesia by organising the Fun Run event tomorrow morning at the Aspire Park. Three hundred schoolchildren will participate in the event, joined by our own Team Qatar champions and other residents.”
Al-Buenain also noted that the OCA is organising the series of ‘Fun Run’, a dedicated social sports development and promotion programme among 45 national Olympic Committees around the continent, to promote the Asian Games.
The first ‘Fun Run’ was hosted by Pakistan in Lahore on December 7, 2017.
“We carry beautiful memories from the 2006 Asian Games which were hosted in Qatar and we are very proud of the legacy it left for us. This legacy had a great impact on the development of the sport movement in the country that has now become a global sport hub,” al-Buenain said.
The Asian Games will be held in Indonesia from August 18 to September 2, 2018, with 10,000 athletes from 45 countries of the region participating in 462 disciplines.
Indonesia will be hosting the Asian Games for the second time, following the fourth edition in Jakarta in 1962.
The Fun Run events will run right through July 18 in Jakarta, exactly one month before the opening ceremony of the Games at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium in the Indonesian capital.
“Jointly, teams from the QOC and the OCA are working together to organise the run. School children, professional athletes, Qatari artists are invited to participate in this special event which includes two running competitions, one for two-km for the students, and the other for one-km for the rest of the participants,” QOC’s Sport Affairs Department director Khaleel al-Jabir said.
On Qatar’s preparations for the Asian Games in Indonesia, he said: “Qatar’s started its preparations last year as more than 500 athletes are expected to participate in the Asian Games. We have won 10 gold medals in the 2014 Asian Games and the QOC is working closely with its sport federations to achieve more in this year’s event.”
OCA director general Husain al-Musallam thanked HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani for hosting this important event to promote the Games.
“Qatar hosting this event reminds us of the 15th Asian Games in 2006 in Doha, which had a great positive impact on the sport movement not only in Qatar, but in the Middle East,” al-Musallam said.
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